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Last Sunday marked the close of the TN Brewery Untapped, and while there may have been many a tear shed at the unknown fate of the historic building, I hold more hope than ever for those bricks and my city. If you have a phone or computer you have no doubt been to, heard about, read about, or seen many pictures and status updates regarding the TN Brewery Untapped and all the wonderful happenings there.

From live music, food trucks, drunken debauchery, and a general warmth and goodtime feeling provided by the patrons and staff alike. Yes, the Brewery provided an ephemeral beauty and atmosphere near impossible to capture in the glow of silicon screens or in the pages of newspapers. Still, we all have tried, and still are trying to do so.

The Brewery is and was more than a bar, more than a party. What took place at 495 Tennessee Street was surely remarkable and will not be soon forgot as the ripples of this event will continue spreading through our community. Of all those souls I spoke with over the weeks in the Beer Garden of Eden, they each had some story to tell with the building, followed by heaps of praise and kind words in regard to the Untapped project.

Some spoke of sneaking in as teenagers, others taking award winning photographs, and others how they contributed to the doodles and spray painted art all across the framework. These memories, combined with the feelings attributed to what others may look at as a heap of cement, or a soon to be cheap apartment complex, gave way to the thought that maybe, maybe, there is no such thing as an inanimate object.

I remember one couple in particular, tears in eyes, speaking of how they met and fell in love at the roof of the old building. For all those Type A suit wearers out there, an even more interesting aspect appeared. More than the sentimental attachments and tender memories flowing forth, was the ease in which the project produced a profit.

Yes, that is correct, this preservation project, made money. For a relatively small investment, the result from the staunch efforts of a few people created joy for thousands while earning a sweet rainy day fund for themselves. These creatives working together showed the worth of working hard for what you believe in, while remaining flexible and open to other opportunities.

Their business model was simple: produce an idea, say yes, take action, go with the flow and get things done. A lesson plan that could save thousands in tuition costs for a higher education came on a silver platter from these men and women. Please, could someone give them a medal?

This place, above all, provided something desperately needed to the community: a place to gather, converse, and simlply be a community. Just by creating a place for people to be, endless possiblities arise. Artists, businessmen and business women, political officials, farmers, and engineers alike, all mixing and mind melding, conversing on varying projects and how to work together.

The result? We will have to wait and see. The ramifications of this wonderful place will need some time to ferment in the weeks and months to come. Indeed, the buzz in the air was more than that provided by the alcohol. It was pure energy. Electricity in the mouths and minds of all that partook in the event of the year.

If you missed it, do yourself a favor and reach out to those tagged in this note and hear more for yourself. Better yet, find someone with deep pockets and a creative mind, and tell them about it. Point them my way and I will give them an earful. Any of us would. These bricks brought us together. Here we stand, waiting.